LBC - Cameras & Lighting

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Of particular importance to underwater inspections is the quality of the video and lighting. To ensure the highest quality video the LBC has many implemented features.

High Resolution Color
The LBC is fitted with a high resolution color camera as standard. The Ex-View HAD chip has 570 lines of horizontal resolution producing a clear and vibrant image. With only a 0.2 lux light requirement the camera is able to operate in low light conditions. To provide the operator with a wide viewing angle the camera is supplied with a 2.9mm lens that produces 110 degrees horizontal viewing. Also, the lens is mounted to a pulley which in turn is manually rotated by a small motor/gearbox. The operator controls the manual focus with the hand controller enabling crystal clear images from 90mm to infinity.

Ultra Low Light B/W
Fitted perpendicular to the color camera is a second camera. The ultra low light B/W camera offers operators shallow water navigation in turbid water. With a light level requirement of only 0.03 lux the B/W camera requires very little light to produce a quality image. The concept is that the B/W camera can operate without artificial lighting that may create back scatter from particles in the water. With 430 lines of horizontal resolution the B/W camera still produces a high quality image. Lens and focus are the same as the color camera.

270º Field of View
Both cameras are mounted to a rotating chassis with a range of 180º per camera. Combined with the view angle of the lens provides the operator with 270º field of view per camera. This enables the operator to look straight up and straight down. Simply pressing the tilt keys on the hand controller enables the operator to adjust the camera angle which is displayed on the Video Overlay.

Internal Lighting
Tracking the camera is a high intensity LED array that has a manually variable intensity control. The LED array produces a intense white light rather than a tungsten yellow found with Halogen lamps. Also, the LED array offers a wider light coverage at 140º over 50º found with a MR16 Halogen lamp. Plus the LED array offers twice the light output of the 50 watt Halogen lamp and only draws 20 watts. The LED lighting has variable intensity which is controlled from the LBC hand controller.

The usefulness of lighting tracking the color camera is found when the camera is rotated up or down. Fixed lighting provides coverage in a certain direction, but doesn't help when looking outside the lighting range.

External Lighting
To enhance the internal lighting external lighting is included. The external lighting offers greater coverage over a set area and due to its separation from the camera viewing angle helps to reduce back scatter. As with the internal lighting the external lighting has variable intensity as well as on and off.